St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-10
PALUDAL POISONS.
A Pennington Editor Speaks Ct Health
at Red Wing.
THE REFORM SCHOOL SITE.
NumerCuc Quotations From Physicians
Statements---Fypo-Malarial Fever
Said To Be Prevalent.

Pennington Tribune.
Two weeks ago the Tribune stated
that the locality of Red Wing had been
pronounced unhealthy by its own ply
sicians. This statement has called out
the following:
From Red Wing Republican, 2Sth.
In reply TO your inquiry, if l know
ANYTHING as to the healthfulneSS of the
proposed site of the state reform school,
| am able to state from many years of
observation that | know of no healthier
location for dwelling or public inStltu-
ton in Red Wing or Minnesota than
that one. Yours,
CHARLES Y. HEWITT, NJ. ID.
1t will be noticed DR.. Hewitt's state
ment is rather guarded. and does not
really amount to much after all. as he
does not even claim any knowledge of
other portions of the state; but other
Red Wing physicians denounced the
statement as IAN unqualified false
hood" and have caused their denuncia-
to be published broadcast.
Now for our authority.
In the transactions of the State Medi-
cal society for 1872, on page to, DR.. W.
w. Sweeney, of Red Wing, chairman
of the committee on climatOlOgy, III
Had been known here ever since the
settlement of the country by the whites,
along the river. and by tradition much
longer. Its source is the river bottom
lands, exposed at low water
On the same page DR.. TibbittS, Of
Cannon Falls. answers question::
LAS not having such a disease in his
locality, only as it is imported from Red
Wing
On page 81 of the same report, DR..
Charles n Hewitt. of Red Wing, pres
pnt secretary of the state board of
health. says:
About thirty-five cases in this city,
Red Wing) Source. the conditions eX
listing on the lOWlands of the MiSSiS-
sippi, from Vermilion slough down to
Lake Pepin."
On page 81 of the reports of the same
society for the year 1873, DR.. W. W.
Sweeney. of Red Wing. in speaking of
epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis,
says that the disease was epidemic at
Red Wing in 1864 and in 1872, and many
cases appearing in the Intervening
years. He says:
During low stages of water Red
Wing, from its situation on the Missis-
sippi, is frequently exposed to the OPP
Grafton of paludal poison. This is evil
dent from the occurrence of the charac-
teristic diseases. which we know
owe their origin to it, and from the in
huence of the poison on other dis
cases.
In the report of the same society for
1874. page So. DR.. ". ". Sweeney. of
Red Wing, says:
Early in June last. dysentery GleO-
cOlitiS) was a very common disease, and
| noted it as an epidemic. In Septem-
Der typh0-malarial fever was seem
These statements are entirely Suffi-
cient TO show that the Tribune stated
the truth two weeks ago and knew
what ii was talking about.
The proposed location for the reform
school is located about four miles above
Red Wing. near the Mississippi river,
along which runs the NermilliOn slough
alluded to, and on the opposite side of
the site are bottom lands of the same
character along the Cannon river: and
these bottom lands. loaded with this
paludal poison. whose fatal effects have
been so well described by Red Wing
physicians, are less than quarter OF a
mile from the proposed site, and Oh
both sides of il, so that this fatal poison
would be borne to the unfortunate in
mates of the school upon every summer
breeze. The issue is now plainly be
tween Red Wing sober and Red Wing
drunk" and the Tribune is perfectly
willing 10 leave the public 10 judge at
which time her physicians told the
truth